Below you’ll find the stories and lessons of some of the best and brightest entrepreneurs, artists and creatives in the community and how they found their purpose.
Haleigh Brooke Thomas McGee
I found my purpose by turning things that I was very good at doing into art, and music, and acting, and modeling, and song writing. I am a really good student. I make all As, so I think I’m pretty smart. This was easy to rap about because it is true and so that’s how I always come up with my rhymes. I think That I have a really good memory and so if I see something or hear something once, then I have it. I use this to remember lines for tv commercial or dances for performances. Read More>>
Jeremy Tremp
Growing up I was always very creative, though I never imagined I would go into a creative field. I always thought I would follow in my father’s footsteps as a counselor. As I grew into my early teens I realized I wanted a cool job that was always changing, evolving and pushing me. I had no idea what that meant but I knew how it would feel. Read More>>
Brooke Emory
I started my career as a professional backup dancer at the age of 15 years old in Los Angeles, CA. From there, I moved to New York City and worked for the biggest corporate fashion companies in the USA. I then pursued my career as an international fitness consultant. Being in industries focused on body image, appearance and extremely high output took a toll on me. Throughout my life I have experienced a variety of mental and physical health challenges including eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and physical abuse. Read More>>
Elizabeth Walker
I truly believe that I was destined to create art. It has always been a creative outlet for me. I’ve had an interest in jewelry since I was a little girl and would play dress up and go through my grandmothers pieces, amazed by each gemstone and intricate detail. I also used to paint and make stained glass, but found my niche when I became an apprentice for a jeweler while living in Aspen, Colorado. When I started Elizabeth Sarah Collections and named my first collection after my grandmothers signature style, it felt like everything had come full circle. Today, the line features some of my best selling pieces and is constantly evolving while remaining timeless. Read More>>
thomasina young
i found my purpose when i became a mother It wasn’t just about me anymore it was about my kids and I want to make sure they never wanted for anything and that I set a good example for them and install good morals in them so i worked hard to began to build a solid foundation for them Read More>>
Diane Lang
I found my purpose from my past and an illness. I had a dysfunctional childhood and then a severe illness that is treatable but no cure. In the middle of the storm, you cant see that the situation you are in is temporary but everything is temporary. The only constant is change. I learned to look back at my traumatic/tough times and learn from those situations. I believe everything tough situation is a teachable/learnable moment. Read More>>
Michelle Leagans
A long time ago, I was told that dance wasn’t a career. Growing up dancing in North Carolina was my favorite thing as a kid. I couldn’t see myself doing anything else for the rest of my life. When it was time to start looking at colleges, I was only researching schools with the best dance education programs. I was continually told that I would never succeed and that I would never make a living as a dancer. I was determined to prove everyone wrong. Read More>>
Andreanna Williams
There were many factors that played into me finding my purpose. As a child, I witnessed both my mom and my dad give selflessly to our church. My dad served as facilities manager for over 17 years and mom served in various capacities, and one of them being a teacher. In all of their respected capacities, there was one goal, they wanted to help people. With their volunteerism, work-ethic, and servanthood in mind, I knew I wanted to do the same, help someone. Read More>>
Ashley Mitchner
I found my purpose, when I’ve decided that change had to start taking place in my life. I’ve felt so torn and broken so much of my life that, I had to make up my mind to stand firm on doing things that was going to fulfill me and give me joy, and peace upon my life. I no longer wanted to suffer mentally, physically, or emotionally, I had to lift and push myself up to believe in all the things that I am capable of doing, and capable of obtaining. Read More>>
Evan Moore
My path to finding purpose and overcoming adversity was not linear. It was filled with twists and turns, setbacks and triumphs. There were moments when I stumble or doubt myself, but it is through perseverance and a steadfast belief in my abilities that I forge ahead. Read More>>
Jennifer McHam
I used to say my purpose was to make people feel beautiful at every stage… but COVID changed my outlook on everything. All of a sudden I wasn’t able to find that beauty anymore and I had to dig a little deeper. That’s when I realized my purpose is actually to show the love and joy and hope I have in Jesus – And I can do that with or without a camera in my hand. Read More>>
Chris “Slade” Johnson
I think finding your purpose is a constant journey. It also goes hand in hand with what you love and are truly passionate about. I find purpose through Art, and connecting people to Art they might not have found, or were aware even exists. The passion of creating events that lead to more business and more connections is a big part of what I feel is my purpose. Read More>>
Tim Lockwood
I first found my purpose way back when Nicki Minaj first came on scene. She was changing her hairstyles so much and this was something new to me. I remember the first time I saw her with a lace front wig I told my grandma “THAT’S HER REAL HAIR” it was 613 blonde frontal and from there I literally became obsessed with hair. I started growing my hair and playing with colors to eventually want to start a brand in the wig and hair business. Read More>>
Curtissa Williams
Knowing that I have two sons that watch my every move is my motivation. Being a teenage mom, my sons are my purpose to reach the goals I have set. To better their lives. To show them that perseverance goes a long way. To show that no matter what one is faced with, one can overcome ANYTHING that’s thrown at them. Knowing that I’ve always been a creative person, I used that to fulfill my purpose. Read More>>
Jude Wallace
I believe I’m lucky because I’ve always had this passion for writing songs and performing. I knew from 6 years old that’s what I wanted to do and how I would fulfill my purpose. What I wanted to do with a platform was a harder question for me to answer to myself. What message do I want to send? Something bigger that stretches beyond music. What’s important to me that I believe everyone needs to hear? Read More>>
Jennifer Seine
For over 25 years I have been helping women balance their hormones as an acupuncturist and functional medicine specialist. One day, while working, I was struck with the epiphany, “More women need help, guidance and support.” That’s how The Sacred Menopause Circle started and what motivated me to write my upcoming book. Every day, if not several times in a day, I sit with women as they tell me their story. Their stories began to weave together and I could see the web of women feeling alone, confused and lacking treatment options became the net to which I have built a support network for those in peri-menopause and menopause. Read More>>
Keyonna Wilson
This is a question that is near and dear to my heart because it is one of those prompting questions that make you sit back and think about how far you’ve come, what you’ve had to overcome during your journey, and lastly gives you room to admire your own ability to create a solid foundation in which you are able to continuously pull core ideas and values from. My journey of finding my purpose was prompted by the realization that I had one, I can’t remember if that thought was prompted by an outside force, apposed to purpose being something that is instilled in a person and becomes more recognizable as the conscious mind matures. Read More>>
Carrie Hough
A Lewis Howes quote comes to mind, “‘You find your meaningful mission when you find a problem that needs to be solved.” In the fall of 2016 while supporting Sheffield High School, Paula Seward and I saw many middle and high school girls’ soccer programs in Memphis did not have the necessary, basic equipment to safely field teams. This sent Paula and I on a journey to build what would become 901 Girls with Goals. Read More>>
Neicy Evans
I find my purpose from my daughters. I look at them and I know that I am doing everything for them. I want them to see me and their father working hard everyday to better our lives, I want them to have a legacy and know they can do anything they put their mind to as long as they have passion and a purpose. My purpose in life is to be better, do better and live better! Read More>>
Anne Samuelle Naissa Bernard
I want to rephrase that to “How am I adding to my purpose.” I don’t think purpose is a one-and-done type of ordeal. The purpose of our lives is this thing that evolves and grows as we navigate life. My purpose looks like this glass vase, transparent and illuminating. With each experience, I collect valuables to fill my vase, therefore expanding my purpose. Read More>>
Kristina Nguyen
Having had the privilege of working in various nail salons, my experiences have provided me with valuable insights into what works and what doesn’t. With this knowledge, I jumped on my solo journey, committed to creating an exceptional experience for my clients. Ensuring their relaxation, comfort, and happiness is paramount to me, while also prioritizing the health of their natural nails. Read More>>
Christiana Sayyah
What a big question, right? I do honestly think I’ve found a big part of my purpose on this Earth, although my path was never straightforward.
I was always interested in, and entertained by the arts. Growing up I loved anything to do with fashion, hair, makeup, and arts and crafts. I was also heavily influenced by music. I was exposed to a variety of genres by my parents, grandparents, and extended family. Read More>>
Vanessa Soulavy
Helping others is not something you “find” I believe you’re born with it or you’re not…. For me it’s always just made sense that my purpose in life was not to sit behind a computer all day sensing emails (though I still do that a lot haha) but more to be “out there” helping others and later in life inspiring others! Read More>>
Shakethia (KeeySolid) Holt
I Simply Answer This By Saying, I Found My Purpose Through A Prayer…It’s More Than Just Purpose For Me Its My Calling… My Purpose Is God’s Designed Plan/ Divine Assignment For My Life, It Is Truly What He Has Sent Me Here To Do… I Couldn’t Seem To Tap Into My Purpose Or Into My Assignment Right Away, I Didnt Know What To Do Or How To Do It But I Knew It Had To Be Done…Instead Of Staying Lost & Confused I Chose To Ask For God’s Help, His Guidance, And Leading Over My Life, I Asked For Clarity Regarding My Purpose Read More>>
Tiffany Cartwright
I lost my job and found my purpose! After suddenly and without notice being laid off due to budget cuts I ended up losing my home, my car, filing for bankruptcy and on welfare. With nothing more than a bridge card in my pocket I was inspired by my brother who is also my mentor and pastor to start a business. Using formulations that I developed in my kitchen to treat my daughters eczema, I launched a skincare line and those products are now in big box retail stores nationwide! Read More>>
Eric Bloom
First and foremost, my purpose is found through my relationship with Jesus Christ. My sole purpose in life is to bring glory to Christ by fulfilling my God given purpose of pursuing him, loving others, and to be an ambassador on Earth for Christ. Through this understanding, my purpose in life was created. I had always had an interest in sports and exercise and had the privilege of playing Division 1 basketball. While playing college basketball, health issues and injuries ended my career. Read More>>
Alison Morales
I always knew I was creative, but I wasn’t always sure where to channel that energy. Music is my favorite artistic expression, but I never deeply desired to be in a band or artist. I just knew that is where I wanted to be and I love spending hours analyzing the work. I took various classes behind the scenes in the music industry: audio engineering, sound design, live sound, stage design, publishing, marketing, etc. Read More>>
Tommy Wan
Community. The aspects, intricacies, and the inclusive nature of being in a community serves a robust foundation for what drives my passion. I find my purpose in organizing, empowering, and learning. As we build long-lasting relationships with those in our community, I feel deep gratification and resoluteness. And specifically, working with my peers and other students, is important to me. Together, we imagine a system where all students are supported not only academically, but through social structures that enrich students, faculty, and extracurricular leaders in all policy areas. Read More>>
Veronica Jennings
In 2014, I began researching the use of hair relaxers and dyes and discovered that there were chemicals in them that were related to certain cancers in women (i.e breast cancer). Afterwhich, I made a decision to stop getting my hair relaxed and colored using off the shelf products. Therefore, November 14, 2014, I cut off all my hair hoping to rid myself of all the harsh chemicals. In so doing, I sought out natural remedies for hair care. It was then that I became pregnant with the idea of creating my own natural hair and skin care product line. This eventually led to the creation and birth of Glory Covering. My purpose is covering you with great products to sustain your glory. Read More>>
Maggie Lyon
When I was in art school, I thought that my purpose was to be a professional artist. After I graduated, I was putting all of my effort into being making art full-time, but I wasn’t finding myself completely satisfied. I got a new job as a sales associate at a nonprofit art organization, and in just a couple months I had the incredible opportunity to become the curator. I always thought curating would be something I would enjoy, but that job title seemed way further into the future. Read More>>
MellowMan
If we rewind back to the start of the world wide Pandemic, life for most of us came to a complete halt and we all were forced to do some deep reflections on what things were most important to us and our priorities. For me, I realized it was my faith and my family. With so much death, depression, and the threats of danger during those days I wanted to do something completely opposite of what we all saw and heard on the news. Read More>>
Elena Calderaro
When the pandemic started I found out I could do so much online, it was my time to reinvent , that’s when I studied to become a Immigration form Preparer, and Connects me with all the immigrants who want to fulfill their dreams, I have been an Immigration form Preparer for 3 years, and I continue to study and expand my knowledge, I became an IRS Certified Preparer, I also help my clients to prepare their Taxes, something so important, and I am a Florida Notary Public Read More>>
ATL MRDA
I found my purpose during a midlife crisis for myself. I had some physical health complications that had me paralyzed from the waist down and hospitalized for some time. Music is my passion but I’m also talented at Carpentry. I had always been caught between the two, like crossfire. Music dates clashed with days I have set to do hard labor days and ultimately the hard labor caught up to my body. Read More>>
Elizabeth Jones
Finding your purpose may seem like a daunting task. Some people may even avoid this very concept to the day that they die. I don’t blame them. It can be overwhelming at times especially when you feel you are lacking direction. Read More>>
Mikiko Canady
I always knew that my purpose in my life was different and I’ve always knew that my purpose and destiny was bigger than I imagined! When I knew that I had a big heart to help others I knew then that my purpose was so much more than the word “help”… I knew when I saw others in need more than me, I knew my purpose was to give back to my community way more than they was receiving! When I became. Read More>>
Jae Artiste
Finding your purpose has a lot to do with evaluating what you do with ease, what flows naturally. Through self reflection and evaluation I’ve come to better understand my purpose. It wasn’t until about 2-3 summers ago that I felt completely empty- like I was existing and not living. I knew that there was more to life than just being here on earth. I set out on my healing journey, so that I could better understand myself. In my journey of self discovery, I do a lot of praying, a lot of writing/journaling, a lot of reading and listening, a lot of meditating. Read More>>
Iesha Barnes
I have always had a creative bone in my body and I love to make something new. When I discovered baking, I realized that I could use my creativity to make new recipes and improve old ones. Also because my test tasters (my parents) were vegan, it gave me the challenge to find ingredients that wouldn’t change the taste of the desserts and if anything increase the taste. Once I realized that alot of people were looking for healthy alternatives to their favorite desserts and that I could provided and fill that need, that’s when I realized that not only did I find something that I enjoy but I also found my purpose which is to not only provide the tasty desserts, but to educate people on the different alternative ingredients they can use. Read More>>
Danielle Turner
For a long time, I went through life with no purpose. I did the things that I was “supposed to” do like work, take care of my family, go to church and get a college degree. Although all those things were good for me, they were not my purpose. It took me many years, a divorce, and a mental health breakdown to find my purpose. The beginning of my journey to finding my purpose started with learning the things I liked and disliked. I had to try new things and step out of my comfort zones. I started to get serious about my self-care and prioritizing myself. Read More>>
Joseph Desiderio
How did I find my purpose? Such a spot-on question. I found my purpose through prayer and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Church that I attend, Church on the Rock in St Augustine, FL, has as its Mission Statement these four tenets: Know God. Read More>>
Deshonna Buchanan
It took me until I turned 30 to find my purpose, but I figured it out by sitting, listening, talking to God and my inner self. I did some meditation, and begin to walk in nature. I honestly had no choice at the time because that’s when Covid hit and the world shut down. So I had no choice but to be with my thoughts and my fears, and through that I was able to do some healing. With that healing came God’s voice, and it was so very clear. Read More>>
Jeddie Carnes
When I was thirty-five, I discovered my purpose. I dated a guy who physically abused me for two years. During our relationship, I had to learn how to cover up bruises on my face and body several times to look presentable at work, or just to the public eye. I remember going to the Mac counter buying makeup products and that’s when I began to teach myself on how to enhance my face. I read books by Rae Morris, Makeup is Art, and Making Faces by Kevin Aucoin. I studied and watched videos everyday the more I practiced the better I got at makeup. Read More>>
Nys Sanchez
Finding my purpose didn’t present itself overnight but in fact overtime. From a background in competitive amateur motocross racing to experiencing heartache to discovering and finding my truest self is how my purpose and passion came to the surface as not only a photographer but a photographer that specializes in black and white photography. My personal journey as a transgender man and living my best authentic life as I can has also brought on a new light as a black and white photographer that I believe people deserve to see, feel and know. Read More>>
TopRankJuice
Developing a growth mindset, understanding real life, and what u want out of it, is one of the first few steps into finding your purpose. I had to create a personal vision statement. It was my responsibility to try new things and explore my passions. Spending time with people who inspire me to do better motivates my drive as well. “Practice gratitude & Turn that pain into purpose”. Read More>>
